PAPERS Relating to the Earl of Bellomont's Administration, so far as respects New Hampshire: COPIED FROM DOCUMENTS OF THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [Note.-The following Papers are of much value as casting light upon our Provincial history during the period of Bellomont's Administration.-ED.] My Lords. [N. Y. Col. MSS., Vol. IV., p. 261.] Duke of Shrewsbury to the Lords of Trade. The King has been pleased to appoint the Earl of Bellomont to be Governor of the Provinces of New Yorke, Massachusets Bay and New Hampshire and to be Captaine Generall during the War, of all His Majestys forces both there and in Connecticutt, Rhode Island and the Jerseys; which I signifie to your Lordships by His Majestys directions that you may give orders to have his severall Commissions and instructions prepared accordingly. I am, My Lords, Your Lordships most humble Servt. Whitehall, SHREWSBURY. 16 March 1696-7. To the Lords of the Council of Trade and Plantations. [Vol. V., p. 314.] Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade. To the Right Honble the "I am glad your Lordships are pleased to renew your orders for the carrying on the good design of furnishing naval stores from New Hampshire for the use of His Majesty's Navy, which I shall obey with a great deal of pleasure, though that design have hitherto been obstructed by some cross accidents. I do not for all that despair of its succeeding well and answering His Majesties glorious ends, for the advantage of England, and your Lordships great care for its encouragement. A foolish and unhappy parcimony in the surveyors, Mr. Bridger, Mr. Furzer and Mr. Jackson, the two first appointed by the Admiralty and Navy Wards, and the latter by Sir Henry Ashurst, to make survey of the woods, and other conveniències, in these His Majties territories for Naval Stores, has been the occasion of great disappointment and losse of time in that affair. They were ship'd on board the Deptford, by an order of the Admiralty, of their procuring, and so were forced to Barbados where Mr. Furzer and Bridger fell sick of the Feaver three or four days before I left Barbados, contracted by a debauch they made; Mr. Furzer dyed, who I believe was the best of the two, but Mr. Bridger recovered, followed me hither, and I have sent him to Boston with a letter earnestly recommending him and the design he is imployed in, to their effectual kindness and furtherance, a copy whereof I now send your Lordships. Mr. Jackson is still here upon some businesse, but is to follow Mr. Bridger in a day or two; my letter is directed to the Lieut. Gov Council and Assembly, and will go to them in a fit juncture of time, because the Assembly of that province are now sitting. One thing I am apprehensive may somewhat obstruct the progress of this design for the present though the Governt of Massachusetts Bay were well affected to it, and that is the Eastern Indians being still in warr with the English of that province (as by a copy of Mr. Usher's letter to me your Lords will see) it will be very expensive for the Province of Massachusetts to maintain a sufficient Guard for the Surveyors, but if they require it of me, I'll furnish them with forty or fifty soldiers from this and the other garrisons in this province. I am told this Country is much fitter for producing of Hemp and Flax, than that about Boston, and some persons have been talking to me of encouraging by an act of Assembly, the propagation thereof; but day labour is so excessively dear in this Country, that I am jealous it will never do so well here as in Ireland; however I will give such a design all the Countenance I can, that His Majesty may be certain of being supplyed with those species here, if he should miss of them else in his own Dominions. I shall God willing go to Albany about a month hence, when the Assembly have ended their session, where the Five Nations of Indians are appointed to meet me, and I will try to engage them to fall upon the Eastern Indians that infest the inhabitants of New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay, if I be not informed in the meantime that those Indians have ceased their hostilities." I am with respect My Lords, Your Lordships most faithful humble servant, New York, 25 May, 1698. BELLOMONT. [N. Y. Col. MSS., Vol. IV., pp. 438-9.] Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade. To the Right Honourable to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. My Lords. "There goes also another Address (No. 4) from the Council and Assembly of New Hampshire, which will show your Lordships what mischief Colonel Allen is doing in that Province. He is, it seems, turning people out of their properties without processe at law and so distracts the people there, that I fear the provision of Navall Stores for the King will suffer an interruption, which otherwise Mr. Partridge who is now here with me, gives all possible assurance of its succeeding to all our desires, so far as relates to timber of all sorts, masts, pitch and tar. As for hemp he has no hopes of that there; and I formerly wrot my thoughts of hemp and flax as fitter productions for the soil of Ireland and to be manufactured there where labour is cheaper three-fourths than 'tis here, or in New Hampshire. I do not take the account I now write of Colonel Allen upon trust from Mr. Partridge, tho' Partridge have a fair character, for I have the same account from two or three indifferent hands besides." I am with respect, My Lords, Your Lordships most humble and obedient servant New Yorke, December the 14th 1698. BELLOMONT. [N. Y. Col. MSS., Vol. IV., p. 536.] Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade. To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. My Lords, "I am next Thursday to go to New Hampshire to take that government upon me, where I propose staying about three weeks, and will, if my health will allow it visit the very utmost bounds of the King's territory to the East and joyning upon Accadie, which the French have unfortunately got from the Crown, thanks to good King Charles the 1st. Tis called St. Georges River and lyes about 25 leagues eastward of Pescataqua. At my return hither I shall make but a week's stay and shall then go to Rhode Island to execute a commission from his Majesty sent me by Mr. Secretary Vernon to inquire into the severall misdomeanours alledged to have been committed by the government of that Island." Boston, July 22a 1699. [N. Y. Col. MSS., p. 519.] Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade. To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and PlantationsMy Lords. "Colonel Romar the Engineer was gon to Boston to get a passage from thence to England; but upon your orders I have stopt him, and since I am suddenly to goe thither, I have wrote to him to view the fort on the Island which commands the harbour at Boston, and from thence to goe to Piscataqua in New Hampshire, and thence to Pemaquid and take the plans of all the three forts and make such observations as will be proper, of their situations, importance, and what the charge may be of building good substantiall forts, and this to the end I may be able to informe your Lordships fully of those matters hereafter." New Yorke, May the 15th 1699. [N. Y. Col. MSS., p. 617.] Lieutenant Governor Partridge to the Earl of Bellomont. May it please your Excellency. Portsmouth the 20th Febry 99. There has nothing of late occured worthy Your Excelleys notice till yesterday Capt John Tuttle of Dover with some other the Inhabitants thereof came to me with an information that the Indians late conversant at Cochecha were suddainly withdrawn according to the information here inclosed. These Indians of late have been observed to visit most of the inhabitants that live in Dover and narrowly view their houses, and by their whole carriage given occasion of suspicion that they design mischiefe against us. The Indians that have appeared at Cochecha and not known to the inhabitants there, do generally call themselves Albany Indians, but 'tis believed they are both Albany and Eastern Indians. I thought it my duty to give your Excelley this an account by an express, and pray Your Excelleys direction herein; in the mean time I have ordered watches and wards to be kept in the out towns to prevent a surprise but so that if any Indians still come in they may be treated as before without discovering any thing of our suspicion of them. I give Your Excell no further trouble at present, but crave leave to subscribe May it please Your Excellency Your most humble and obedient servant WM. PARTRIDGE. [N. Y. Col. MSS., pp. 645-6-7.] Earl of Bellomont to the Lords of Trade. To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plantations. My Lords “Mr. Partridge notwithstanding my admonitions to him not to suffer any ship timber to be cut, and carryed from Pescattaway till the Kings pleasure were first knowen in that matter, has not only consented to a ship's loading ship timber and masts in that harbour, but is now actually loading a great ship of his own of about 350 ton with principall ship timber for Portugal. The noise too of the profitable voyage he formerly made thither with ship timber, has so encouraged others to do the like, that I am newly informed of one Major Davison who is said to be loading a ship at Newberry in this Province with that sort of timber for Portugal. I believe your Lordships will not approve of this trade for many reasons, but 'tis very unlucky that I am so long without your orders therein. I doubt not to make it appear, that it is to the full as great prejudice to England to imbezle the Timber growing in New Hampshire, as it would be to imbezle that which grows in New Forest in England, which I shall have occasion in my next letter to prove. "Rear Admiral Benbow will give your Lordships an Account (if call'd on) what a vast prejudice the destruction of the woods |